Join Me for ‘Earth Day Green Drinks’ in Fredericksburg, Va.

Cross-posted from The Green Suits:

This morning, some great news arrived!

The organizers of Green Drinks Fredericksburg have invited me to discuss Tailoring the Green Suit at its next event–taking place 6 p.m. April 22nd, 2010–at The Otter House in Olde Towne Fredericksburg, Va. From this morning’s news release:

Green Drinks is all about conversations for conservation. A loose coalition of Fredericksburg area businesses and conservation groups are teaming up to provide a forum for people to network with other individuals interested in the environment. Every last Thursday of the month at 6 p.m., Green Drinks will meet at The Otter House, 1005 Princess Anne Street.

Green Drinks is an international movement with similar events in 63 other countries and all 50 states. Local groups set up their own events, but all have a common code: meet monthly, agenda free, run responsibly and anyone can come. With a lively mixture of people from NGOs, academia, government and business, people have found employment, made friends, developed new ideas, done deals and had moments of serendipity. There will be a speaker for 15 minutes, but most of the time is devoted to individuals making connections.

Launch Date: April 22, 2010 (40th anniversary of Earth Day)
Time: 6pm
Where: Otter House, 1005 Princess Anne Street
Speaker: Dan Smolen, author of Tailoring the Green Suit: Empowering Yourself for an Executive Career in the New Green Economy.

Green Drinks Organizing Committee Contacts:

Rebecca Kurylo, Development Director
Friends of the Rappahannock
(540) 373-3448 rebecca.kurylo@riverfriends.org

Laurel Hamming
Stafford Citizen
fredgreendrinks@gmail.com

Eric Stott
Sierra Club
ericlawrencestott@yahoo.com

Anne Little, Executive Director
Clean & Green Commission
thegate@cox.net

Dan Dukes
Green Source Raters
(540) 903-6800 daniel.dukes@greensourceraters.com

There is a great story behind how the first ‘Green Drinks’ got started:

In 1989, at a pub called the Slug and Lettuce in Northern London, Edwin Datschefski was sitting with his green design colleagues Yorick Benjamin and Paul Scott when he noticed an enviro-minded acquaintance at a nearby table. As it turned out, the friend was sitting with a few of his own eco-conscious mates, so they pulled some tables together. And so a movement was born.

The concept evolved into Green Drinks and now it’s global. In 2001, Datschefski created an official Web site, and it has since spread across the world. See www.greendrinks.org for the latest city count and a list of countries. Each city has an organizer who arranges meetings in bars and restaurants, relays information via email, and facilitates discussions.

In Fredericksburg, Green Drinks started two years ago with Dan Dukes of Green Source Builders launching the group as a personal initiative. After a 6-month hiatus, a coalition of area conservation groups and businesses have joined together to reinstate the network on Earth Day’s 40th anniversary.

40th Anniversary of Earth Day Stresses Corporate Social Responsibility

Cross-posted from The Green Suits:

This year marks the the 40th anniversary of Earth Day.

It was conceived in the fall of 1969 after U.S. Sen. Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin witnessed a catastrophic oil-spill off of the Santa Barbara, California coastline. Nelson, a committed enviro, proposed that “Earth Day” become a nationwide teach-in day on the environment.

About six months later, the first Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970; estimates indicated that over 20 million Americans participated in the first Earth Day’s events.

For the 40th anniversary, the Earth Day Network has programmed Earth Day 2010 to “be a turning point to advance climate policy, energy efficiency, renewable energy and green jobs.”

Earth Day 2010 also seeks cooperation from corporate America, to advance the cause of corporate social responsibility.

From the EarthDay.net web site:

Earth Day Network’s Campaign for Earth Day 2010

Global Days of Service – April 17-18 – Join millions around the globe to make your community and the world cleaner and more sustainable.

Help Generate a Billion Acts of Green™ – Register individual, community or business service acts and take action for Earth Day.

Events on The National Mall in Washington, DC

Earth Day 40th Anniversary Events – April 22
Change the Climate Rally – April 25
Exhibitions and Performances on The National Mall – April 17-25
Arts for the Earth™ – Get involved in art that promotes environmental themes.

Song for the Earth Contest – Youths 18 or under who are passionate about music and the environment are invited to compose and submit a song. Winners will perform on The National Mall.

Athletes for the Earth™ – Athletes are signing up to change the climate!

40th Anniversary Global Advisory Committee – See who is part of the team!

For more information, check out the Earth Day 2010 web site.

Incidentally, we are striving to have the Tailoring the Green Suit book launch coincide with the 40th celebration of Earth Day.